Five-day anti-polio drive begins today

QUETTA: A five-day anti polio campaign is set to begin in Quetta, Pishin, Qilah Abdullah and Mastung Districts of Balochistan Today (Monday).

Coordinator of the Emergency Operation Centre Syed Faisal Ahmed said that the polio campaign (Monday) in 127 Union Councils of the four districts would kick off today. He said that during the campaign 0.8 million children will be administered polio drops. He also added that all the preparations have been completed for the campaign. The campaign will include 3,824 teams in which 3,239 mobile teams will be deployed with 371 transit points and 214 fixed sites.



Ahmed added that security forces have also been involved in the campaign to protect the polio workers. During the operation, all the polio workers will be given full security cover by the police and FC personnel, he added.

The EOC coordinator said that last month an eighteen-month-old was diagnosed with and became the first polio case in Balochistan and the third polio case in Pakistan for 2017.

Ahmed said this means that the virus is present in the environment and can target other children as well, who are deprived of polio drops. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to cooperate with polio workers during the campaign, he added.



The coordinator said that the Balochistan government's efforts to support polio campaign and steps taken in this regard are satisfactory and all the essential facilities have been provided by the government. He added that the role of the parents in the success of polio campaign is equally important.

Ahmed concluded that, for the success of the campaign, all sections of the society, including media, has to play their role in the success of the campaign.